"Zero Use in 12 Years"... A 153 Billion Won White Elephant

[Anchor]

In Yeongjong Haneul City, Incheon, there is an automated waste transport facility built at a cost of over 150 billion won. It is a system where garbage is automatically transported to a collection station once disposed of. The problem is that it has not been used even once for 12 years.

On-site reporting by reporter Kim Gyu-ri.

[Reporter]

This is a roadside in Yeongjong Haneul City, Incheon.

After removing the dust-covered waterproof tarp, the inlet of the Clean Net for disposing of food waste was revealed.

Although it was installed a long time ago, it has never been operated.

The handle of the general waste Clean Net inlet right next to it is even covered in spider webs, showing how neglected it is.

The Clean Net, an automated waste collection facility, is a system where garbage put into the inlet is automatically transported to a collection station through underground pipes.

At the time of the new town's development, about 780 waste inlets, 4 collection stations, and 70.4 km of underground pipelines were built in Yeongjong Haneul City alone.

However, it has not actually been operated even once since its completion in 2014.

[Facility Management Official: If water accumulates or a breakdown occurs in the Clean Net, we just repair it and manage it. Literally. It has not been able to operate here for 14 years now.]

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority originally planned the Clean Net facility, and LH carried out the facility construction, but by the time of completion, it had not been decided who would actually operate it.

Because it was not an essential facility and due to maintenance costs, the district office was not proactive, and joint inspections requested by LH about 10 times for the handover were rejected by both the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority and the district office.

After dragging on for 9 years, an agreement signed in 2023 decided that the district office would operate it, but this time, LH and the district office have failed to narrow their differences over the scope of repair work.

[Jang Jung-gu / External Cooperation Chairperson, Incheon Civil Society Organizations Network: It has become a white elephant for over 10 years, and LH, the Economic Zone Authority, and the Yeongjong District Office seem to be passing the buck to each other. We need to clarify who is responsible for this.]

This is a waste disposal site in an apartment complex.

A Clean Net inlet is installed here, but it has a sign attached prohibiting its use.

There were even residents who did not know whether there was a Clean Net in the apartment complex in the first place.

[Resident: If you walk around, there seem to be quite a few. I don't know. I just thought it was electricity or something like that.]

Civic groups, including the Incheon Civil Society Organizations Network, are demanding that an audit be conducted on all processes of the Clean Net project and that those responsible be disciplined.

(Video reporting: Kim Han-gyeol, Video editing: Choi Hye-ran, Design: Park Tae-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.